The cliffs of the Amalfi Coast are not only home to some of the most bright and colorful buildings in the world, but they're also lined with garden terraces that feature olive groves, grape vines, and the always popular lemon trees. The stores throughout the alleyways boast numerous local products, including limoncello, olive oil, and orange liqueur, as well as linen clothing and breezy dresses. Life is slower here, no one seems to be in a big rush to get anywhere; it gives a relaxed, small-town feel to the coast.

Our day started with Italy Limousine, a company that provides private tour guides around the country, arranged by the amazing Josephine. Our driver was warm and friendly, and he spoke incredible English. He started by picking us up directly at the Naples port and then we were off to explore. We stopped a few times for photo ops, pictures of the cacti and cliffs, pictures of the buildings and of our family. All in all, it took us about two hours to get from Naples to Sorrento, and the drive was so enjoyable.

Our first stop was Sorrento, where the streets were lined with produce vendors, small shops, and all-things lemon. Bottles of limoncello and orange liqueur are abundant, as well as olives, olive oil, lemon soap, lavender, and chile ristras. The colors are rich and contrast each other perfectly; it gives off the effect of a color wheel with no shade left behind.

Produce stand in Sorrento

The next stop on our list was Positano. The streets are more narrow and steeper here, but they're still simple to navigate. There's one way in, and one way out, with mopeds buzzing by you almost every turn. There's less produce here and more clothing; linen and other breezy Italian clothing stores line the streets, all with their doors open. This region of Italy specializes in linen, and it's the best place in the world to buy it. The are hidden doorways and steep steps, all painted a different color that helps them stand out.

Coral-colored stairwell in Positano

The last stop on our list was Ravello, one of the smaller Amalfi Coast towns. It's not as populated and there are less shops. It's a quaint, authentic Italian town, where you'll run into goats being herded through the roads on the outskirts of town.

Goat herd in Ravello

Our driver picked our lunch spot, somewhere he knew the owner and somewhere he said we would love. He was right; we couldn't have found a better spot if we had tried. The Trattoria Da Cumpa' Cosimo, run by a mother and son duo, was exactly what we needed. We were brought sausage meatballs to try, on the house. The pizza was a perfect blend of mozzarella cheese, tomato, and basil. I've never had anything more fresh than the pizza here. The owner's son was attentive, refilling wine glasses, offering us dishes to sample, and bringing me a freshly picked peach right before leaving, a little snack for the road, he said. If everything had gone wrong on this outing, just my experience at this little trattoria would have turned my entire day around.